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  • As Officials Disparage Pretti and Good, Families of Black People Killed by Police Have Déjà Vu

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    The shooting deaths of white protesters Alex Pretti and Renee Good by federal officers in Minneapolis followed a playbook that is painfully familiar to Black Americans: Authorities quickly moved to disparage the victims, only to be contradicted as more evidence emerged.

    Black families who have lost loved ones to police violence said the killings in Minnesota have brought back painful memories of their own fights for justice as law enforcement agencies spun up narratives to suggest officers had no other choice but to kill their relatives.

    And these law enforcement agencies often make no effort to publicly correct misstatements or falsehoods that might have impact on a fair justice process, experts said.

    Timothy Welbeck, the director of the Center for Anti-Racism at Temple University, said it “regrettably” took the deaths of Pretti and Good to again shine a spotlight on this issue.

    “Black people have leveled a critique against law enforcement for as long as we’ve had policing in America,” said Welbeck, an assistant professor at Temple’s Africology and African American Studies Department.

    He also called it “painfully ironic” that Pretti and Good died in “the same place” where other high-profile cases brought the issue to the fore: George Floyd, who was murdered in 2020 by a Minneapolis police officer, and Philando Castile, who was fatally shot in 2016 as he tried to show a suburban Minneapolis police officer his license to carry a concealed firearm.

    Clarence Castile, an uncle of Philando Castile, said it was eerie to hear federal authorities make snap conclusions in the Pretti and Good shootings.

    “Right away they backed up their officers and said they had justifiable shoots, their lives were in danger, they feared for their lives,” Castile said. “I heard the same thing, (officials) said the same things when that cop shot my nephew.”

    “We know, from the beginning, that they haven’t taken the time to investigate,” he said. “They’re just putting out something, because they think they have to respond. Sometimes the best response is no response.”


    ‘Protecting the integrity of the investigation’

    Leonard Sipes, who worked for 35 years in public affairs and communications for federal and state law enforcement agencies and is also a former officer, said the standard practice for shootings or any other major breaking case is to simply state that “it’s under investigation.” Sipes said he typically waited 24 hours before releasing information to the public.

    “Getting the story correct is vital to the reputation of the agency,” Sipes said. “You are also obligated to protect the integrity of the investigation. A rush to judgment can violate that.”

    The killings of Pretti, a Veterans Affairs hospital ICU nurse, and Good, who described herself as a poet, mother and wife, quickly became rallying cries for Minnesotans protesting the largest surge of federal law enforcement into an American city.

    After Pretti and Good were killed, administration officials from Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to President Donald Trump claimed the two were far-left radicals acting with malicious intent to harm federal officers.

    “The sickening lies told about our son by the administration are reprehensible and disgusting,” Pretti’s family said in a statement this week, noting that videos showed Pretti holding his phone, not a gun, when he was tackled by federal agents before he was shot several times. “Please get the truth out about our son.”

    Good was remembered by her family as “the beautiful light of our family and brought joy to anyone she met.”

    “She was our protector, our shoulder to cry on and our scintillating source of joy.”

    Still, officials have not walked back claims that Pretti and Good were avowed extremists who intended to harm federal agents when they were killed.


    Frustration over past and present cases

    Some Black activists and police reform advocates expressed frustration that people who are outraged by how the Pretti and Good cases have been handled often ignored the same dynamics when the victims were Black.

    “Ultimately, this demonstrates the insidious nature of racism and how it’s embedded its ways into the systems and structures of society,” Welbeck said. “When Black people try to point out not only the logical fallacies of it, but just the callousness of it, we were often lambasted or told that we were overreacting and needed to wait for justice to play itself out.”

    Melina Abdullah, co-founder of Black Lives Matter Grassroots, said it’s a common misconception that Black racial justice organizers won’t get active when white people die at the hands of law enforcement.

    “I want to be very clear that I mourn and rage about the murder of Alex Pretti and Renée Good,” said Abdullah, organizer of a national hub for BLM chapters. “What they suffered is what Black people suffer every single day, and it doesn’t make it right for them, but it’s also not right for us.”

    Justin Hansford, who participated in Black Lives Matter protests after the 2014 police shooting death of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, said the Minneapolis shootings should be a reminder to all Americans that injustice disproportionately impacting Black people can impact them, too.

    “It’s the idea that Black folks were always the ones whose experience signaled to the rest of the country what was soon to come,” said Hansford, a professor at the Howard University School of Law and executive director of the Thurgood Marshall Civil Rights Center.

    “It was because this is the Black experience that you looked at it narrowly, and you failed to address it. And then the experience becomes mimicked nationally.”


    Tulsa shooting victim’s sister knows Minneapolis families’ pain

    Tiffany Crutcher, the twin sister of Terence Crutcher, a Black man killed in 2016 by a Tulsa, Oklahoma, police officer, said she couldn’t watch videos showing the killings of Pretti and Good. Just hearing authorities speak about their deaths was re-traumatizing, she said.

    She’s “been there before,” she said, recalling how law enforcement officials made snap judgements about her brother.

    Crutcher’s family maintained that Terence was in need of help after his vehicle stalled on the road. The officer who fatally shot him claimed she feared he was reaching into his car for a weapon. Terence Crutcher was unarmed.

    Video footage from the scene recorded an operator saying Terence “looks like a bad dude” who “could be on something.” Ultimately, the officer who shot him was acquitted at trial for manslaughter.

    “In our trauma and shock, we had to control the narrative about who Terrence was,” Tiffany said. “While we’re grieving and mourning, at the same time, we have to rally and let the world know that our loved one did not deserve to die.”

    She said the Pretti and Good shootings are helping people wake up to the problem of unequal justice for people killed by police.

    “Naturally, there’s an affinity more broadly towards law enforcement and people believing them,” Tiffany said. “However, I think that is shifting.”

    “Our voice is all that we have. And we made a conscious decision that we were going to utilize our voice and get ahead of the harmful narratives.”

    AP writer Matt Brown in Washington, D.C., contributed.

    Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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  • Mariah Carey’s secret grunge album part of tribute at MusiCares event

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    LOS ANGELES — Mariah Carey has blended pop, R&B, gospel and hip-hop into hit songs over five decades. But it was hearing a couple of cuts off her 1990s secret grunge album that had the superstar on her feet clapping.

    Foo Fighters blasted through “Someone’s Ugly Daughter” with Taylor Momsen on lead vocals. They followed up with “Love is a Scam” as Carey sang along from her front table.

    Carey was honored for her musical achievements and philanthropic efforts as MusiCares Person of the Year on Friday night, two days before the Grammy Awards. The award is given in the week ahead of the Grammys by MusiCares, a charity that supports musicians in need.

    “She is one of one,” longtime collaborator Babyface said. “Mariah, you are every songwriter and producer’s dream. You strike a lot of gold. You are a blueprint of a great songwriter.”

    Back in 1995, Carey secretly recorded and co-produced the grunge album “Someone’s Ugly Daughter” with her friend Clarissa Dane under the name Chick. It wasn’t until her 2020 memoir that Carey revealed she was behind the project, singing background vocals while Dane handled lead.

    Of all the songs performed at the Los Angeles Convention Center, Carey seemed to enjoy Foo Fighters’ blast from the past the most.

    Stevie Wonder didn’t perform, but he took the stage to tell Carey, “The greatest thing about you and I is we have respect and love for each other.”

    Grammy nominee Teddy Swims tackled “Without You,” the Harry Nilsson power ballad that Carey took to No. 1 in 1994.

    “That was really terrifying,” he said.

    British girl group Flo harmonized on “Dream Lover,” Billy Porter lent his unique interpretation to “Always Be My Baby,” and Jennifer Hudson opened with “I Don’t Wanna Cry” before seguing into “Vision of Love.”

    Surprise guest Busta Rhymes teamed with Chanté Moore and Spliff Star to perform “I Know What You Want.”

    John Legend sat behind the piano for “Hero” after Charlie Puth sang “I Still Believe” in the round. Grammy nominee Laufey sang “It’s Like That,” and, in a nod to Carey’s favorite color, Adam Lambert wore a lavender jacket while performing “Can’t Let Go.” Kesha sang “Obsessed” behind sunglasses. Maggie Rogers performed “Honey,” and then told Carey, “You’re the coolest.”

    Tables had metallic butterflies tucked in the lavender rose centerpieces, while pats of butter were in the shape of tiny butterflies. Carey’s sixth studio album “Butterfly” came out in 1997.

    Dripping with diamonds on her necklace, earrings and bracelets, Carey did more singing at her table than she did onstage.

    Traditionally, the honoree performs some of their biggest hits at the end of what is usually a three-hour concert. This year, the show wrapped in just under two hours, with Jon Batiste leading some of the performers in Carey’s holiday classic “All I Want for Christmas Is You.” The guest of honor was led on stage and sang along for about 90 seconds of the finale.

    Perhaps Carey was saving her five-octave range for next Friday, when she’s set to perform as part of the Milan Cortina Olympics opening ceremony in Italy, followed by a show in Abu Dhabi the next day.

    Befitting her diva status, Carey was guided to the podium trailed by a woman carrying the train of her sheer black lace dress.

    “Ah, tonight has been sublime,” she said. “To hear my songs reimagined by some of the world’s greatest artists, it’s surreal. When I was a little girl scribbling lyrics in my notebook late at night, I could only dream of someone hearing those words and relating to them.”

    Carey seemed genuinely touched by the honor, which has previously been bestowed on such artists as Bruce Springsteen, Barbra Streisand, Berry Gordy and Smokey Robinson, Joni Mitchell, Dolly Parton and Tom Petty. She told the crowd it was “one of the most profound moments of my life and career.”

    “Oh my gosh!” Carey said. “I got a chance to sit there and listen and feel very just blessed to be here. So much love, so much music. It’s overwhelming in the best possible way.”

    ___

    The 68th Grammy Awards will be held Sunday. The show will air on CBS and stream on Paramount+. For more coverage of this year’s Grammy Awards visit: www.apnews.com/hub/grammy-awards

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  • Starbucks feels the heat as more chains compete for US coffee drinkers

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    NEW YORK — Americans are drinking more coffee than they have in decades. But fewer of them are getting it from Starbucks.

    The company that revolutionized U.S. coffee culture remains America’s biggest player, with nearly 17,000 U.S. stores and plans to open hundreds more. But it’s facing unprecedented competition, which will make it harder to win back the customers it already lost.

    Starbucks’ share of spending at all U.S. coffee shops fell in 2024 and 2025; it now stands at 48%, down from 52% in 2023, according to Technomic, a food industry consulting firm. Dunkin ‘, a perennial rival that just opened its 10,000th U.S. store, gained market share in both of those years.

    Starbucks has other challengers, like the fast-growing drive-thru chains 7 Brew, Scooter’s Coffee and Dutch Bros. Chinese chains like Luckin Coffee and Mixue are opening U.S. stores. High-end coffee shop Blue Bottle, which has 78 U.S. stores, has opened two more since the start of the year. Even McDonald’s and Taco Bell are bolstering their beverage offerings.

    “People haven’t fallen out of love with Starbucks, but they’re now polyamorous in their coffee choices,” said Chris Kayes, chair of the management department in the George Washington University School of Business. “People are now experimenting with other coffees, and they’re seeing what’s out there.”

    Americans love coffee. In both 2024 and 2025, an estimated 66% of Americans reported drinking coffee every day, up 7% from 2020, according to the National Coffee Association, an industry trade group.

    Coffee chains are racing to cash in on that demand. The number of chain coffee stores in the U.S. jumped 19% to more than 34,500 over the last six years, according to Technomic, a consulting firm that researches the foodservice industry.

    Seattle-based Starbucks was a small, regional chain when former CEO Howard Schultz acquired it in 1987. Now, other small chains are seeing explosive growth. Nebraska-based Scooter’s Coffee had 200 locations in 2019; it now has more than 850. Arkansas-based 7 Brew, which had 14 locations in 2019, now has more than 600.

    “There’s too much supply relative to demand,” said Neil Saunders, a managing director and retail analyst at consulting firm GlobalData Retail

    Saunders said Starbucks’ size is somewhat of a disadvantage, since it has less ability to grow sales by opening new locations.

    “Honestly, they’re pretty saturated,” Saunders said. “They’re a very mature business.”

    Starbucks is undaunted. At a conference for investors on Thursday, the company said an ongoing effort to improve service while making stores warmer and more welcoming was boosting U.S. store traffic. It plans to add 25,000 seats to its U.S. cafes by this fall.

    “Growth doesn’t require us to become something new. It requires us to be exceptionally good at what we already are,” Starbucks Chief Operating Officer Mike Grams said.

    Starbucks expects to open more than 575 new U.S. stores over the next three years. It developed a smaller-format store that is cheaper to build but still has indoor seating, drive-thru lanes and mobile pickup. The company said the reduced scale would allow Starbucks stores to operate in locations they couldn’t before.

    Starbucks is also adding new products, like updated pastries and snackable foods that are high in protein and fiber, to try to win back customers.

    Lack of menu innovation is one reason Starbucks has struggled, especially among younger consumers who like novelty and will try new places to find it, Saunders said.

    Arizona-based Dutch Bros, for example, added protein coffee drinks in January 2024, nearly two years before Starbucks did. Energy drinks make up 25% of Dutch Bros’ business almost 14 years after the chain introduced them. Starbucks offered iced energy drinks for a limited time in 2024; executives said Thursday that customizable energy drinks would appear on the Starbucks menu soon.

    Dutch Bros, which is led by former Starbucks executive Christine Barone, has just over 1,000 shops in the U.S. and hopes to double that number by 2029. It’s betting that customers want speed and convenience; nearly all of its stores are drive-thrus with walk-up windows.

    Dutch Bros also focuses on value. In a recent meeting with investors, Barone pointed out that Dutch Bros’ medium drinks are 24 ounces; at Starbucks, a medium drink is 16 ounces.

    Luckin, whose app brims with coupons and promotions, is also value-oriented. On a recent afternoon, one of its nine New York stores buzzed with customers picking up mobile orders. The tiny shop had no seating.

    Xunyi Xie, who was visiting New York from his home in Delaware, said he stopped by to try a Velvet Latte because Luckin had a $1.99 drink promotion. Xie said he normally brews his own espresso, but if Luckin opened a store that was on his way to work, he would go there.

    As for Starbucks? “I think it’s overpriced,” Xie said.

    In 2024, the average customer spent $9.34 at Starbucks, compared to $8.44 at Dutch Bros and $4.68 at Dunkin’, according to an analysis by the investment research company Morningstar.

    Starbucks didn’t raise prices in its 2025 fiscal year and has vowed to be judicious about future increases. But Ari Felhandler, an equity analyst with Morningstar, said it would be a mistake for Starbucks to try to win over customers with discounts because competitors will always go lower.

    “Keep your prices the same and try to justify them,” Felhandler said. He thinks Starbucks’ store redesigns and new menu items will bring back traffic.

    Grams, Starbucks’ chief operating officer, said the company firmly believes its best way forward is not drive-thru-only stores or mobile pickup kiosks. It’s building cafes with comfortable seating — the “soul of Starbucks,” as he put it — that also serve mobile, drive-thru and delivery customers. Customers sometimes want something convenient, and they sometimes want to dwell, he said.

    “There’s always going to be competition. We’re aware of it, we keep an eye on it for sure, but we don’t try to be them,” Grams told The Associated Press. “We offer something that most people don’t, which is a legitimate space to sit down, enjoy and use it for a variety of different reasons.”

    But Kayes, of George Washington University, wonders if that strategy will be enough to keep Starbucks on top, or if customers who want a cozy or premium experience have already moved on to independent coffee shops or upscale chains like Blue Bottle.

    “In some ways, I think they are a victim of their own success,” Kayes said. “I do think that the aura of Starbucks as being something special and unique and exciting isn’t there anymore.”

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  • Starbucks Feels the Heat as More Chains Compete for US Coffee Drinkers

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    NEW YORK (AP) — Americans are drinking more coffee than they have in decades. But fewer of them are getting it from Starbucks.

    The company that revolutionized U.S. coffee culture remains America’s biggest player, with nearly 17,000 U.S. stores and plans to open hundreds more. But it’s facing unprecedented competition, which will make it harder to win back the customers it already lost.

    Starbucks’ share of spending at all U.S. coffee shops fell in 2024 and 2025; it now stands at 48%, down from 52% in 2023, according to Technomic, a food industry consulting firm. Dunkin ‘, a perennial rival that just opened its 10,000th U.S. store, gained market share in both of those years.

    Starbucks has other challengers, like the fast-growing drive-thru chains 7 Brew, Scooter’s Coffee and Dutch Bros. Chinese chains like Luckin Coffee and Mixue are opening U.S. stores. High-end coffee shop Blue Bottle, which has 78 U.S. stores, has opened two more since the start of the year. Even McDonald’s and Taco Bell are bolstering their beverage offerings.

    “People haven’t fallen out of love with Starbucks, but they’re now polyamorous in their coffee choices,” said Chris Kayes, chair of the management department in the George Washington University School of Business. “People are now experimenting with other coffees, and they’re seeing what’s out there.”

    Americans love coffee. In both 2024 and 2025, an estimated 66% of Americans reported drinking coffee every day, up 7% from 2020, according to the National Coffee Association, an industry trade group.

    Coffee chains are racing to cash in on that demand. The number of chain coffee stores in the U.S. jumped 19% to more than 34,500 over the last six years, according to Technomic, a consulting firm that researches the foodservice industry.

    Seattle-based Starbucks was a small, regional chain when former CEO Howard Schultz acquired it in 1987. Now, other small chains are seeing explosive growth. Nebraska-based Scooter’s Coffee had 200 locations in 2019; it now has more than 850. Arkansas-based 7 Brew, which had 14 locations in 2019, now has more than 600.

    “There’s too much supply relative to demand,” said Neil Saunders, a managing director and retail analyst at consulting firm GlobalData Retail

    Saunders said Starbucks’ size is somewhat of a disadvantage, since it has less ability to grow sales by opening new locations.

    “Honestly, they’re pretty saturated,” Saunders said. “They’re a very mature business.”

    “Growth doesn’t require us to become something new. It requires us to be exceptionally good at what we already are,” Starbucks Chief Operating Officer Mike Grams said.

    Starbucks expects to open more than 575 new U.S. stores over the next three years. It developed a smaller-format store that is cheaper to build but still has indoor seating, drive-thru lanes and mobile pickup. The company said the reduced scale would allow Starbucks stores to operate in locations they couldn’t before.

    Starbucks is also adding new products, like updated pastries and snackable foods that are high in protein and fiber, to try to win back customers.

    Lack of menu innovation is one reason Starbucks has struggled, especially among younger consumers who like novelty and will try new places to find it, Saunders said.

    Arizona-based Dutch Bros, for example, added protein coffee drinks in January 2024, nearly two years before Starbucks did. Energy drinks make up 25% of Dutch Bros’ business almost 14 years after the chain introduced them. Starbucks offered iced energy drinks for a limited time in 2024; executives said Thursday that customizable energy drinks would appear on the Starbucks menu soon.

    Dutch Bros, which is led by former Starbucks executive Christine Barone, has just over 1,000 shops in the U.S. and hopes to double that number by 2029. It’s betting that customers want speed and convenience; nearly all of its stores are drive-thrus with walk-up windows.

    Dutch Bros also focuses on value. In a recent meeting with investors, Barone pointed out that Dutch Bros’ medium drinks are 24 ounces; at Starbucks, a medium drink is 16 ounces.

    Luckin, whose app brims with coupons and promotions, is also value-oriented. On a recent afternoon, one of its nine New York stores buzzed with customers picking up mobile orders. The tiny shop had no seating.

    Xunyi Xie, who was visiting New York from his home in Delaware, said he stopped by to try a Velvet Latte because Luckin had a $1.99 drink promotion. Xie said he normally brews his own espresso, but if Luckin opened a store that was on his way to work, he would go there.

    As for Starbucks? “I think it’s overpriced,” Xie said.

    In 2024, the average customer spent $9.34 at Starbucks, compared to $8.44 at Dutch Bros and $4.68 at Dunkin’, according to an analysis by the investment research company Morningstar.

    Starbucks didn’t raise prices in its 2025 fiscal year and has vowed to be judicious about future increases. But Ari Felhandler, an equity analyst with Morningstar, said it would be a mistake for Starbucks to try to win over customers with discounts because competitors will always go lower.

    “Keep your prices the same and try to justify them,” Felhandler said. He thinks Starbucks’ store redesigns and new menu items will bring back traffic.

    Grams, Starbucks’ chief operating officer, said the company firmly believes its best way forward is not drive-thru-only stores or mobile pickup kiosks. It’s building cafes with comfortable seating — the “soul of Starbucks,” as he put it — that also serve mobile, drive-thru and delivery customers. Customers sometimes want something convenient, and they sometimes want to dwell, he said.

    “There’s always going to be competition. We’re aware of it, we keep an eye on it for sure, but we don’t try to be them,” Grams told The Associated Press. “We offer something that most people don’t, which is a legitimate space to sit down, enjoy and use it for a variety of different reasons.”

    But Kayes, of George Washington University, wonders if that strategy will be enough to keep Starbucks on top, or if customers who want a cozy or premium experience have already moved on to independent coffee shops or upscale chains like Blue Bottle.

    “In some ways, I think they are a victim of their own success,” Kayes said. “I do think that the aura of Starbucks as being something special and unique and exciting isn’t there anymore.”

    Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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  • ‘Dances With Wolves’ actor Nathan Chasing Horse convicted on sexual assault charges

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    LAS VEGAS — A Nevada jury on Friday convicted “Dances With Wolves” actor Nathan Chasing Horse of sexually assaulting Indigenous women and girls in a case that sent shock waves through Indian Country.

    The jurors in Las Vegas found Chasing Horse guilty of 13 of the 21 charges he faced. Most of the guilty verdicts centered on Chasing Horse’s conduct with a victim who was 14 when he began assaulting her. He was acquitted of some sexual assault charges when the main victim was older and lived with him and his other companions.

    Chasing Horse, 49, faces a minimum of 25 years in prison. His sentencing is scheduled for March 11.

    He has also been charged with sex crimes in other states as well as Canada. British Columbia prosecutors said Friday that once Chasing Horse has been sentenced and any appeals are finished in the U.S., they will assess next steps in their prosecution.

    Friday’s verdict marked the climax of a yearslong effort to prosecute Chasing Horse after he was first arrested and indicted in 2023. Prosecutors said Chasing Horse used his reputation as a Lakota medicine man to prey on Indigenous women and girls.

    As the verdict was read, Chasing Horse stood quietly. Victims and their supporters cried and hugged in the hallway while wearing yellow ribbons. The main victim declined to comment.

    William Rowles, the Clark County chief deputy district attorney, thanked the women who had accused Chasing Horse of assault for testifying.

    “I just hope that the people who came forward over the years and made complaints against Nathan Chasing Horse can find some peace in this,” he said.

    Defense attorney Craig Mueller said he will file a motion for a new trial and told The Associated Press he was confused and disappointed in the jury’s verdict. He said he had some “meaningful doubts about the sincerity of the accusations.”

    Chasing Horse was born on the Rosebud Reservation in South Dakota, home to the Sicangu Sioux, one of the seven tribes of the Lakota nation. He is widely known for his portrayal of Smiles a Lot in Kevin Costner’s Oscar-winning film.

    “Dances With Wolves” was one of the most prominent films featuring Native American actors when it premiered in 1990.

    His trial came as authorities have responded more in recent years to an epidemic of violence against Native women.

    During the 11-day trial, jurors heard from three women who said Chasing Horse sexually assaulted them, some of whom were underage at the time. The jury returned guilty verdicts on some charges related to all three.

    Deputy District Attorney Bianca Pucci said in her closing argument Wednesday that for almost 20 years, Chasing Horse “spun a web of abuse” that caught many women.

    Mueller said in his closing argument that there was no evidence, including from eyewitnesses. He questioned the main accuser’s credibility, calling her a “scorned woman.”

    Prosecutors said sexual assault cases rarely have eyewitnesses and often happen behind closed doors.

    The main accuser was 14 in 2012 when Chasing Horse allegedly told her the spirits wanted her to give up her virginity to save her mother, who was diagnosed with cancer. He then sexually assaulted her and told her that if she told anyone, her mother would die, Pucci said. The sexual assaults continued for years, Pucci said.

    “Today’s verdict sends a clear message that exploitation and abuse will not be tolerated, regardless of the defendant’s public persona or claims of spiritual authority,” said Clark County District Attorney Steve Wolfson, who came in to the Las Vegas court room to hear the verdict, in a statement.

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  • From Stilettos to Safety Concerns on Inauguration Day: 4 Takeaways From Melania Trump’s New Movie

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    WASHINGTON (AP) — The new documentary “Melania” opens on a close-up of the trademark stilettos of first lady Melania Trump as she walks the halls of Mar-a-Lago, her Palm Beach home, in early January 2025, following her as she climbs into a dark SUV for the short drive to the airport and a flight aboard her husband’s personal plane to New York and their Trump Tower penthouse home.

    The movie, which stretches nearly two hours, is a behind-the-scenes glimpse of the first lady’s life during the 20 days before she resumed the role last year. The first lady, who is known to fiercely protect her privacy, had film crews follow her in Palm Beach, Florida; New York City and Washington, during that window to show her transition from a private citizen to public figure to an audience that mostly regards her as kind of a mystery.

    “With this film, I want to show the American people my journey,” she says in the documentary, which opened Friday in theaters in the U.S. and around the world.


    The first lady focuses on getting details just right

    Viewers follow Melania Trump through a variety of meetings — and fittings — where the former fashion model appears keenly focused on the precise fit of her inaugural coat and hat and the gown she plans to wear to the balls. In one of the scenes where she’s wearing the coat, she asks for it to be tightened around her hips. In another, after she comes downstairs in the strapless gown, her request is for the black trim at the top to be fixed straight across and to not flop.

    She reviews the minute arrangements for a pre-inaugural candlelight dinner in Washington for President Donald Trump’s donors, such as the invitations and the caviar served inside a golden egg. And she works on furnishing the family’s private living quarters on the second floor of the White House. She asks her interior designer for a bigger bed for their son, Barron, “because he’s much taller now” than in Trump’s first term.


    She meets with powerful women

    Melania Trump, who was involved in every aspect of the film’s development, includes scenes from meetings with some powerful women before Inauguration Day: a video call with Brigitte Macron, the French president’s wife, to discuss working together on children’s initiatives, and a sit-down with Queen Rania of Jordan.

    She also meets with Aviva Siegel, who had been held hostage by Hamas militants after the Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel, and whose husband of 44 years was still in captivity at the time of the meeting. The film’s credits say Melania Trump played a key role in winning the release of Siegel’s husband.


    Melania was concerned about safety on Inauguration Day

    She and President Trump attend a meeting with Secret Service officials to review plans for the day. Told that there will be several points along the parade route where they could get out of the limousine to walk along Pennsylvania Avenue, she asks, “Is it safe?”

    She doesn’t appear reassured by the answer, and says she knows Barron will not get out of the car. Trump had been the target of two assassination attempts during his campaign, including one at a rally in Pennsylvania in which his ear was grazed by a bullet and a supporter standing behind him was fatally shot.

    Trump eventually moved the traditional outdoor inauguration ceremony indoors due to concerns about bitterly cold weather, and the parade was moved indoors to the Capital One Arena.

    Melania Trump, who narrates the documentary, calls it a “practical decision” to move the parade. “But in truth, I was relieved,” she says.


    Melania says she wants to modernize the role of first lady

    She says in the film that she wants to move beyond the traditional “social duties” of first ladies. In some ways, she’s already done so, especially with the documentary.

    Presidents and first ladies generally wait until they leave the White House to pursue such projects to avoid questions about possible conflicts of interest or ethics.

    The film, announced before the Trumps returned to the White House, is the product of a reported $40 million deal with AmazonMGM Studios. Amazon does business with the federal government, and co-founder Jeff Bezos has sought to improve relations with the president.

    Melania Trump also has not been tied to living in the White House. In Trump’s first term, she took the unusual step of living in New York for several months so that Barron, then in elementary school, could finish the school year. In the second term, she spent much of the first year in New York and Florida working on the film.

    Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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  • ‘Dances With Wolves’ actor Nathan Chasing Horse convicted on sexual assault charges

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    LAS VEGAS — A Nevada jury on Friday convicted “Dances With Wolves” actor Nathan Chasing Horse of sexually assaulting Indigenous women and girls in a case that sent shock waves through Indian Country.

    The jurors in Las Vegas found Chasing Horse guilty of 13 of the 21 charges he faced. Most of the guilty verdicts centered on Chasing Horse’s conduct with a victim who was 14 years old when he began assaulting her. He was acquitted of some sexual assault charges when the main victim was older and described as a wife. His sentencing is scheduled for March 11.

    The verdict marked the climax of a yearslong effort to prosecute Chasing Horse after he was first arrested and indicted in 2023. Prosecutors said Chasing Horse used his reputation as a Lakota medicine man to prey on Indigenous women and girls.

    As the verdict was read, Chasing Horse stood quietly. Victims and their supporters cried and hugged in the hallway while wearing yellow ribbons.

    William Rowles, the Clark County chief deputy district attorney, thanked the women who had accused Chasing Horse of assault for testifying.

    “I just hope that the people who came forward over the years and made complaints against Nathan Chasing Horse can find some peace in this,” he said.

    Defense attorney Craig Mueller said he will file a motion for a new trial and told The Associated Press he was confused and disappointed in the jury’s verdict. He said he had some “meaningful doubts about the sincerity of the accusations.”

    “Dances With Wolves” was one of the most prominent films featuring Native American actors when it premiered in 1990. After Chasing Horse appeared in the Oscar-winning film, he traveled across North America and performed healing ceremonies.

    His trial came as authorities have responded more in recent years to an epidemic of violence against Native women.

    During the three-week trial, jurors heard from three women who say Chasing Horse sexually assaulted them, some of whom were underage at the time. The jury returned guilty verdicts on some charges related to all three.

    Deputy District Attorney Bianca Pucci said in her closing statements Wednesday that for almost 20 years, Chasing Horse “spun a web of abuse” that caught many women.

    Mueller said in his closing statements that there was no evidence, including eyewitnesses. He questioned the main accuser’s credibility, describing her as a “scorned woman.”

    Prosecutors said sexual assault cases rarely have eyewitnesses and often happen behind closed doors.

    The main accuser was 14 years old in 2012 when Chasing Horse allegedly told her the spirits wanted her to give up her virginity to save her mother, who was diagnosed with cancer. He then sexually assaulted her and told her that if she told anyone, her mother would die, Pucci said during opening statements.

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  • Sen. Susan Collins announces end to ICE large-scale operations in Maine after talks with Noem

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    PORTLAND, Maine — Federal immigration officials have ceased their “enhanced operations” in Maine, the site of an enforcement surge and hundreds of arrests since last week, U.S. Sen. Susan Collins said Thursday.

    Collins, a Republican, announced the development after saying she had spoken directly with Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem.

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    Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.

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    By Patrick Whittle, Kimberlee Kruesi and Holly Ramer | Associated Press

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  • After 200 years, the Farmers’ Almanac bets on a digital reboot and new owner

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    PORTLAND, Maine — The Farmers’ Almanac isn’t going out of business after all, but it is leaving Maine for the bright lights of New York City and a new owner.

    Beloved by farmers and gardeners, the almanac was first printed in 1818 and — like the arguably more famous Old Farmer’s Almanac — relies on a secret formula of sunspots, planetary positions and lunar cycles to generate long-range weather forecasts.

    It’s been acquired by Unofficial Networks, a digital publisher focused on skiing and outdoor recreation. That means the almanac will keep operating despite announcing in November that its 208-year run was coming to an end.

    A new Farmers’ Almanac website will be “a living, breathing publication with fresh, daily content” and there are plans to bring back a print edition, said Tim Konrad, founder and publisher of New York-based Unofficial Networks.

    “I saw the announcement that one of America’s most enduring publications was set to close,” Konrad said, “and it felt wrong to stand by while an irreplaceable piece of our national heritage disappeared.”

    The deal will prioritize “preserving and sustaining the iconic publication,” according to a statement from Unofficial Networks and Peter Geiger, the almanac’s longtime publisher.

    The Farmers’ Almanac was founded in New Jersey before moving its headquarters to Lewiston, Maine, in 1955. The Old Farmer’s Almanac is based in New Hampshire.

    Over the years, scientists have sometimes chafed at the publications’ predictions. Studies of their accuracy have found them to be a little more than 50% accurate. That is about on par with random chance.

    But Geiger, whose family had the Farmers’ Almanac for more than 90 years, said they’re “going out a winner” by having predicted a cold and snowy 2026.

    “For more than 200 years, the values and wisdom of the Farmers’ Almanac have been protected and nurtured by four owner-publishers,” Geiger said. “I am grateful to have found the right next custodian in Tim Konrad. I am also confident he will honor its heritage and carry it forward for generations to come.”

    Unofficial Networks was started in 2006 by Konrad and his brother John in a California basement, according to the company’s website.

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  • US Judge Temporarily Blocks End of Ethiopians’ Deportation Protections

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    BOSTON, Jan ‌30 (Reuters) – ​A federal ‌judge on Friday temporarily ​blocked U.S. President ‍Donald Trump’s administration ​from ​ending ⁠temporary protections from deportation that had been granted to thousands of Ethiopians ‌living in the United States.

    U.S. ​District ‌Judge Brian ‍Murphy in ⁠Boston said he would issue an order delaying the February 13 effective date ​of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s termination of the temporary protected status granted to over 5,000 Ethiopians in order to provide more time for ​a legal challenge to be heard.

    (Reporting by Nate Raymond in ​Boston, Editing by Franklin Paul)

    Copyright 2026 Thomson Reuters.

    Photos You Should See – January 2026

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  • Florida Sets up a Third Execution in 2026 as State Leads US Death Penalty Surge

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    TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — A man convicted of fatally shooting a police officer with his own service weapon during a traffic stop is set to be Florida’s third execution of 2026, keeping the state on pace to match or possibly exceed last year’s record 19 executions.

    Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a death warrant Thursday for Billy Leon Kearse, 53, who is scheduled to die by lethal injection March 3 at Florida State Prison.

    DeSantis, a Republican, oversaw more executions in a single year in 2025 than any other Florida governor since the death penalty was reinstated in 1976. The previous record was set in 2014 with eight executions.

    Two executions have already been scheduled for next month. Ronald Palmer Heath, 64, is scheduled to die on Feb. 10, and the execution of Melvin Trotter, 65, is scheduled for Feb. 24, exactly one week before Kearse.

    Kearse was initially sentenced to death in 1991 after being convicted of first-degree murder and robbery with a firearm. The Florida Supreme Court found that the trial court failed to give jurors certain information about aggravating circumstances and ordered a new sentencing. Kearse was resentenced to death in 1997.

    According to court records, Fort Pierce Police Officer Danny Parrish pulled over Kearse for driving the wrong way on a one-way street in January 1991. When Kearse couldn’t produce a valid driver’s license, Parrish ordered Kearse out of his vehicle and attempted to handcuff him.

    A struggle ensued, and Kearse grabbed Parrish’s sidearm, prosecutors said. Kearse fired 14 times, striking the officer nine times in the body and four times in his body armor. A nearby taxi driver heard the shots and used Parrish’s radio to call for help.

    Parrish was rushed to a nearby hospital, where he died from the gunshot wounds, officials said. Meanwhile, police used license plate information that Parrish had called in before approaching Kearse to identify the attacker’s vehicle and home address, where Kearse was arrested.

    Attorneys for Kearse are expected to file appeals to the Florida Supreme Court and the U.S. Supreme Court.

    Forty-seven people were executed in the U.S. in 2025, the highest total since 2009. Florida led the way with a flurry of death warrants signed by DeSantis.

    DeSantis explained the unprecedented number of executions last year by saying his goal is to bring justice to victims’ families who have waited decades for the death sentences to be carried out.

    “Some of these crimes were committed in the ’80s,” the governor said. “Justice delayed is justice denied. I felt I owed it to them to make sure this ran very smoothly. If I honestly thought someone was innocent, I would not pull the trigger.”

    Florida executions are all conducted via lethal injection using a sedative, a paralytic and a drug that stops the heart, according to the Department of Corrections.

    Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

    Photos You Should See – January 2026

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  • Towns once run by polygamous sect emerge from court supervision transformed

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    COLORADO CITY, Ariz. — The prairie dresses, walled compounds and distrust of outsiders that were once hallmarks of two towns on the Arizona-Utah border are mostly gone.

    These days, Colorado City, Arizona, and neighboring Hildale, Utah, look much like any other town in this remote and picturesque area near Zion National Park, with weekend soccer games, a few bars, and even a winery.

    Until courts wrested control of the towns from a polygamous sect whose leader and prophet, Warren Jeffs, was imprisoned for sexually assaulting two girls, youth sports, cocktail hours and many other common activities were forbidden. The towns have transformed so quickly that they were released from court-ordered supervision last summer, almost two years earlier than expected.

    It wasn’t easy.

    “What you see is the outcome of a massive amount of internal turmoil and change within people to reset themselves,” said Willie Jessop, a onetime spokesman for the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints who later broke with the sect. “We call it ‘life after Jeffs’ — and, frankly, it’s a great life.”

    Some former members have fond memories of growing up in the FLDS, describing mothers who looked out for each other’s kids and playing sports with other kids in town.

    But they say things got worse after Jeffs took charge following his father’s death in 2002. Families were broken apart by church leaders who cast out men deemed unworthy and reassigned their wives and children to others. On Jeffs’ orders, children were pulled from public school, basketball hoops were taken down, and followers were told how to spend their time and what to eat.

    “It started to go into a very sinister, dark, cult direction,” said Shem Fischer, who left the towns in 2000 after the church split up his father’s family. He later returned to open a lodge in Hildale.

    Church members settled in Colorado City and Hildale in the 1930s so they could continue practicing polygamy after the sect broke away from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the mainstream Mormon church that renounced plural marriage in 1890.

    Stung by the public backlash from a disastrous 1953 raid on the FLDS, authorities turned a blind eye to polygamy in the towns until Jeffs took over.

    After being charged in 2005 with arranging the marriage of a teenage girl to a 28-year-old follower who was already married, Jeffs went on the run, making the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list before his arrest the next year. In 2011, he was convicted in Texas of sexually assaulting two girls ages 12 and 15 and sentenced to life in prison.

    Even years after Jeffs’ arrest, federal prosecutors accused the towns of being run as an arm of the church and denying non-followers basic services such as building permits, water hookups and police protection. In 2017, the court placed the towns under supervision, excising the church from their governments and shared police department. Separately, supervision of a trust that controlled the church’s real estate was turned over to a community board, which has been selling it.

    The towns functioned for 90 years largely as a theocracy, so they had to learn how to operate “a first-generation representative government,” Roger Carter, the court-appointed monitor, pointed out in his progress reports.

    The FLDS had controlled most of the towns’ land through a trust, allowing its leaders to dictate where followers could live, so private property ownership was new to many. People unaccustomed to openness and government policies needed clarification about whether decisions were based on religious affiliation.

    Although the towns took direction from the sect in the past, their civic leaders now prioritize residents’ needs, Carter wrote before the court lifted the oversight last July.

    With its leader in prison and stripped of its control over the towns, many FLDS members left the sect or moved away. Other places of worship have opened, and practicing FLDS members are now believed to account for only a small percentage of towns’ populations.

    Hildale Mayor Donia Jessop, who was once distantly related to Willie Jessop through marriage, said the community has made huge strides. Like others, she has reconnected with family members who were divided by the church and quit talking to each other.

    When a 2015 flood in Hildale killed 13 people, she was one of many former residents who returned to help look for missing loved ones. She got a chance to visit with a sister she hadn’t seen in years.

    “We started to realize that the love was still there — that my sister that I hadn’t been able to speak to for in so many years was still my sister, and she missed me as bad as I missed her,” the mayor said. “And it just started to open doors that weren’t open before.”

    Longtime resident Isaac Wyler said after the FLDS expelled him in 2004, he was ostracized by the people he grew up with, a local store wouldn’t sell him animal feed, he was refused service at a burger joint and police ignored his complaints that his farm was being vandalized.

    Things are very different now, he said. For one thing, his religious affiliation no longer factors into his encounters with police, Wyler said. And that feed store, burger joint and the FLDS-run grocery store have been replaced by a big supermarket, bank, pharmacy, coffee shop and bar.

    “Like a normal town,” he said.

    People with no FLDS connections have also been moving in.

    Gabby Olsen, who grew up in Salt Lake City, first came to the towns in 2016 as an intern for a climbing and canyoneering guide service. She was drawn to the mountains and canyons, clean air and 300 days of sunshine each year.

    She said people asked “all the time” whether she was really going to move to a place known for polygamy, but it didn’t bother her.

    “When you tell people, ‘Hey, we’re getting married in Hildale,’ they kind of chuckle, because they just really don’t know what it’s about,” said Olsen’s husband, Dion Obermeyer, who runs the service with her. “But of course when they all came down here, they’re all quite surprised. And you’re like, ‘Oh yeah, there’s a winery.’”

    Even with the FLDS’ influence waning, it’s not completely gone and the towns are dealing with some new problems.

    Residents say the new openness has brought common societal woes such as drug use to Hildale and Colorado City.

    And some people are still practicing polygamy: A Colorado City sect member with more than 20 spiritual “wives,” including 10 underage girls, was sentenced in late 2024 to 50 years in prison for coercing girls into sexual acts and other crimes.

    Briell Decker, who was 18 when she became Jeffs’ 65th “wife” in an arranged marriage, turned her back on the church. These days, she works for a residential support center in Colorado City that serves people leaving polygamy.

    Now 40 and remarried with a child, Decker said she thinks it will take several generations to recover from the FLDS’ abuses under Jeffs.

    “I do think they can, but it’s going to take a while because so many people are in denial,” Decker said. “Still, they want to blame somebody. They don’t really want to take accountability.” ___

    Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.

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  • US Labor Department Proposes Rule to Boost Transparency in Pharmacy Benefit Manager Fees

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    Jan 29 (Reuters) – The U.S. Department ‌of ​Labor’s Employee Benefits ‌Security Administration on Thursday issued a proposed ​rule aimed at increasing transparency around fees and compensation collected ‍by pharmacy benefit managers.

    The ​move, which follows a directive under President ​Donald Trump’s ⁠executive order on lowering drug prices, seeks to clarify PBM business practices that affect employer-sponsored health plans covering millions of Americans.

    PBMs — including units of CVS Health, Cigna ‌and UnitedHealth — negotiate drug prices and manage formularies for ​health plans, ‌but have faced ‍scrutiny ⁠from U.S. officials over business practices and a lack of transparency.

    The department said PBMs often do not disclose the full scope of payments they receive, leaving plan fiduciaries unable to assess whether compensation is reasonable.

    “This action will allow ​employers to see the full extent of the fees charged by pharmacy benefit managers, enabling them to negotiate a better deal for themselves and American workers,” said Deputy Secretary Keith Sonderling.

    The proposed regulation would require PBMs to disclose rebates and other payments from drug manufacturers, compensation collected when plans pay more for a drug than pharmacies are ​reimbursed, and funds recouped from pharmacies.

    Fiduciaries would also gain new authority to audit PBM disclosures and receive additional protections if PBMs fail to comply, ​the department said.

    (Reporting by Siddhi Mahatole in Bengaluru; Editing by Alan Barona)

    Copyright 2026 Thomson Reuters.

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  • TikTok star known for bringing meals and respect to people on Skid Row dies at 58

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    Shirley Raines, a social media creator and nonprofit founder who dedicated her life to caring for people experiencing homelessness, has died, her organization Beauty 2 The Streetz said Wednesday. She was 58.

    Raines was known as “Ms. Shirley,” to her more than 5 million TikTok followers and to the people who regularly lined up for the food, beauty treatments and hygiene supplies she brought to Los Angeles’ Skid Row and other homeless communities in California and Nevada.

    Raines’ life made an “immeasurable impact,” Beauty 2 The Streetz wrote on social media.

    “Through her tireless advocacy, deep compassion, and unwavering commitment, she used her powerful media platform to amplify the voices of those in need and to bring dignity, resources, and hope to some of the most underserved populations,” the organization said.

    Raines’ cause of death was not released, but the organization said it would share additional information when it is available.

    Raines had six children. One son died as a toddler — an experience that left her a “very broken woman,” Raines said in 2021 when she was named CNN’s Hero of the Year.

    “It’s important you know that broken people are still very much useful,” she said during the CNN award ceremony.

    That deep grief led her to begin helping homeless people.

    “I would rather have him back than anything in the world, but I am a mother without a son, and there are a lot of people in the street that are without a mother,” she said. “And I feel like it’s a fair exchange — I’m here for them.”

    Raines began working with homeless communities in 2017. On Monday, Raines posted a video shot from inside her car as she handed out lunches to a line of people standing outside her passenger window. She greeted her clients with warm enthusiasm and respect, calling them “King,” or “Queen.”

    One man told her he was able to get into an apartment.

    “God is good! Look at you!” Raines replied, her usual cheerfulness stepping up a notch. In a video posted two weeks earlier, she handed her shoes to a barefoot child who was waiting for a meal, protecting the girl’s feet from the chilly asphalt.

    California’s homelessness crisis is especially visible in downtown Los Angeles, where hundreds of people live in makeshift shanties that line entire blocks in the notorious neighborhood known as Skid Row. Tents regularly pop up on the pavement outside City Hall. Encampments are increasingly found in suburban areas under freeway overpasses. A 2025 survey found that about 72,000 people were homeless on any given night across Los Angeles County.

    Crushow Herring, the art director of the Sidewalk Project, said Raines was both sentimental and protective of the homeless community. The Sidewalk Project uses art and peer empowerment programs to help people experiencing homelessness in Los Angeles.

    “I’ve been getting calls all morning from people, not just who live in Skid Row but Angelenos who are shocked” by Raines’ death, Herring said. “To see the work she did, and how people couldn’t wait to see her come out? It was a great mission. What most people need is just feeling dignity about themselves, because if they look better, they feel better.”

    Raines would often give people on the street a position working with her as she provided haircuts or handed out goods, Herring said.

    “By the time a year or two goes by, they’re part of the organization — they have responsibility, they have something to look forward to,” he said. “She always had people around her that were motivational, and generous and polite to community members.”

    Melissa Acedera, founder of Polo’s Pantry, recalled joining Raines every Saturday to distribute food when Beauty 2 The Streetz was first getting started. Raines remembered people’s birthdays and took special care to reach out to transgender and queer people who were often on the outskirts of Skid Row, she added.

    “It’s hard not to think of Shirley when I’m there,” Acedera said.

    In 2025, Raines was named the NAACP Image Award Winner for Outstanding Social Media Personality. Other social media creators lauded her work and shared their own grief online Wednesday.

    “Ms. Shirley was truly the best of us, love incarnate,” wrote Alexis Nikole Nelson, a foraging educator and social media creator known as “blackforager.”

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  • Former First Brands CEO Patrick James and his brother are indicted for bilking billions from banks

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    Patrick James, the former CEO of bankrupt auto parts supplier First Brands Group, was indicted on federal fraud charges and arrested Thursday in Ohio with his brother Edward, a former senior executive with the company, the government said

    Patrick James, the former CEO of bankrupt auto parts supplier First Brands Group, was indicted on federal fraud charges and arrested Thursday in Ohio with his brother Edward, a former senior executive with the company, the government said.

    The indictment from the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Southern District of New York said the James brothers “perpetrated a yearslong fraud” to obtains billions of dollars for First Brands — and millions for themselves — by duping investors and banks with fake documents and false financial reports.

    When it filed for bankruptcy protection in September, officials representing First Brands said the company had more than $9 billion in debt and only $12 million in cash, according to Thursday’s charging documents.

    After changing its name to First Brands from Crowne Group about five years ago, the Cleveland company began buying and then cobbling together a number of aftermarket auto parts manufacturers through debt-financed deals. Acquisitions by First Brands included well-known industry brands like Fram filters, Autolite sparkplugs and Anco windshield wiper blades.

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  • New SafeSport CEO Fitzgerald Mosley wants to fix things quickly, saying ‘it’s a calling’

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    DENVER — Benita Fitzgerald Mosley has stood at the top of the podium at the Olympics. She’s been part of fix-it projects and start-ups in that world, as well.

    None of those roles have presented the challenges she’ll face in her new job — CEO of the U.S. Center for SafeSport. It’s a post she officially takes over Sunday in hopes of redirecting an organization charged with combating sex abuse in Olympic sports that has been bombarded with problems, both internal and external, over most of its nine-year history.

    “It’s a hard job,” Fitzgerald Mosley said in an interview with The Associated Press during a trip this week to agency headquarters in Denver. “On its surface, it probably would scare any normal human to death.”

    But, she said, the center’s mission aligned with some of her personal goals involving everything from faith to helping people maximize their potential. And, she said, “I feel like it’s a calling.”

    “The more I went through the interview process, the more I felt, ‘You should really do this job. This is you,’” she said.

    Her Olympic accolades include winning the gold medal at the 1984 Los Angeles Games, where she became the first Black woman to capture the 100-meter hurdles title. Yet perhaps the most relevant part of Fitzgerald Mosley’s resume is this: She earned a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Tennessee in industrial engineering.

    Ask AI what “industrial engineering” means and it spits back that it’s a field “focused on optimizing complex systems, processes, and organizations to boost efficiency, productivity, and quality.”

    That, in a phrase, is exactly the project she’s undertaking at the SafeSport Center.

    The center has struggled since its founding in the wake of sex abuse scandals that the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee and its sports affiliates were unable to control.

    Part of that is related to the scope of the assignment. It covers 11 million athletes — from the U.S. Olympic team heading to Italy next week to the grassroots and club players that dot every town across the country.

    The headlines — ranging from who the center hires, to how long it takes to investigate, to the sorts of cases it takes up and those it doesn’t get to soon enough — have not been flattering.

    Fitzgerald Mosely got a taste of it when she served as part of a Congressionally appointed commission charged with looking into the Olympic movement as a whole. Some of its most pointed criticism and advice was pointed at the center.

    “It’s the hardest job in sports,” said hurdles great Edwin Moses, who also was part of the commission and spent years as chair of the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency.

    Like Fitzgerald Mosley, Moses was part of the 1984 Olympic team. He also has a background in engineering.

    “That background makes you look at a whole organism, and break it down into pieces and elements,” Moses said. “She’s going to break everything down and analyze it from scratch. And if there are flaws in the process, if the thing needs to be set up in a different way, funded in a different way, she’s going to let people know.”

    Though Fitzgerald Mosely has not started making decisions about the direction of the agency, she did point toward one of the commission’s recommendations as worth considering. It involved proposals to filter responsibility for grassroots programs to regional entities that would essentially be licensed by the center.

    It could help solve the overload of cases that reach SafeSport each year; it received more than 8,000 reports in 2024.

    “We may need to alter the structure of how we go about the work,” she said. “I think, though, it’s important (to acknowledge) many of the complaints come from the grassroots. If we’re really, truly trying to change the culture of American sports to focus on athlete well-being and safety, you have to start from the bottom and go to the top.”

    Fitzgerald Mosley said the center is using a third-party agency to conduct surveys, focus groups and individual conversations with people who work at SafeSport and also those who are impacted by it.

    “Then we’re going to go back to them and say ‘Thank you for participating. This is what we found, and this is what we’re going to do about it,’” she said.

    She’ll put together a strategic plan and go about implementing it, in similar fashion as projects she undertook while working as an executive at USA Track and Field, the USOC, the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation and Women In Cable Television (WICT).

    One of Fitzgerald Mosley’s more headline-grabbing victories involved spurring USATF’s improvement from 23 medals at the 2008 Beijing Olympics to 29 at the 2012 London Games.

    After that, she went to work at the USOC as its chief of organizational excellence.

    “The through-line is the complexity of all these organizations,” Fitzgerald Mosley said when asked what all her jobs had in common.

    She told a story about her first CEO role at WICT, which was formed to give women a foothold in what was then a quickly growing industry.

    “It was multifaceted, and the very people I was going to for money were the very people I had to rank, or judge” for a list of the best companies in cable that the organization put out. “It was these little sensitivities about who you’re dealing with and where they are.”

    The structure Congress created for the center puts her in a similar situation. In short, the law calls on the center to receive much of its finding from the same organizations it oversees — the Olympic committee and its affiliates.

    More importantly, the center also must straddle the line between being sensitive to people who come to them with abuse complaints with being fair to those who are accused.

    That has been the core of the mission — and the struggle — since the agency opened its doors.

    “I’ll be able to tell you in six or nine months, how quickly are we able to turn this barge around?” Fitzgerald Mosley said. “Is it three months, is it six months, is it 18 months? I don’t know. But it can’t be 18 years. We’ve got to do this quickly.”

    ___

    AP Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics

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  • ‘Clueless,’ ‘The Karate Kid’ among 25 movies entering National Film Registry

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    As if they’d leave “Clueless” off the list.

    Cher Horowitz fans, rejoice: Amy Heckerling’s 1995 teen comedy is one of 25 classic movies chosen this year by the Library of Congress for its National Film Registry.

    And if “Clueless” wasn’t your jam — whatever! — maybe this will send you deep into your dreams: Christopher Nolan’s mind-bending “Inception” is in the mix. Other films chosen for preservation include “The Karate Kid,” “Glory,” “Philadelphia,” “Before Sunrise,” “The Incredibles” and “Frida.” There are four documentaries, including “Brooklyn Bridge” by Ken Burns. From old Hollywood, there’s the 1954 musical “White Christmas,” and the 1956 “High Society,” Grace Kelly’s last movie before marrying into royalty.

    Since 1988, the Library of Congress has selected 25 movies each year for preservation due to their “cultural, historic or aesthetic importance.” The films must be at least 10 years old.

    The oldest of the 2025 picks dates from 1896, filmmaker William Selig’s “The Tramp and the Dog.” The newest of the group is from 2014: Wes Anderson’s “The Grand Budapest Hotel,” which, the registry noted, involved “meticulous historical research at the Library of Congress to create visually striking scenery.”

    Turner Classic Movies will host a TV special March 19 to screen a selection of the films.

    “The Tramp and the Dog” (1896): Once deemed lost, but discovered in 2021 at the National Library of Norway, Selig’s silent film tells the story of a tramp who tries to steal a pie from a backyard windowsill — and is foiled by a dog. The registry notes it’s an early example of “pants humor” — “where a character loses (or almost loses) its pants during an altercation.”

    “The Maid of McMillan” (1916): This 15-minute silent film, a “whimsical silent romance” shot by students at a drama club at Washington University in St. Louis, tells the story of the track team captain, Jack, who’s in love with Myrtle, “a pretty coed,” according to the university’s library. It is known, the registry says, as the first student film on record.

    “Ten Nights in a Barroom” (1926): A silent film featuring an all-Black cast, it’s based on a stage melodrama adapted from “Ten Nights in a Bar-room and What I Saw There,” an 1854 “temperance novel” written to discourage readers from drinking alcohol.

    “High Society” (1956): In what the registry calls “the last great musical of the Golden Age of Hollywood,” Bing Crosby appeared with Frank Sinatra and Grace Kelly, in her last movie before retiring and marrying Prince Rainier of Monaco. Louis Armstrong appeared with his band. Kelly wore her Cartier engagement ring during filming, the registry notes.

    “Brooklyn Bridge” (1981): Ken Burns’ first documentary broadcast on PBS, in which the filmmaker recounted the building of the iconic landmark. “More than just a filmmaker, Burns has become a trusted public historian,” the registry says.

    “The Big Chill” (1983): Lawrence Kasdan’s era-defining story of a group of friends reuniting after a suicide features Glenn Close, William Hurt, JoBeth Williams, Kevin Kline, Jeff Goldblum and Meg Tilly in an ensemble that “portrays American stereotypes of the time — the yuppie, the drug dealer, the TV star — and deftly humanizes them.”

    “The Karate Kid (1984): The first film in the franchise, starring Ralph Macchio and Pat Morita, is “as American as they come,” the registry says — “a hero’s journey, a sports movie and a teen movie — a feel-good movie, but not without grit.”

    “Glory” (1989): Denzel Washington won an Oscar as Private Trip in this story of the 54th Regiment, a unit of Black soldiers who fought in the Civil War. The cast also included Morgan Freeman, Matthew Broderick, Cary Elwes and Andre Braugher.

    “Philadelphia” (1993): Tom Hanks starred — and won an Oscar — in one of the first big studio movies to confront the HIV/AIDS crisis. The film is also known for Bruce Springsteen’s Oscar-winning song, “The Streets of Philadelphia.”

    “Before Sunrise” (1995): The first film of Richard Linklater’s deeply romantic “Before” trilogy, starring Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy. The registry notes Linklater’s “innovative use of time as a defining and recurring cinematic tool.”

    “Clueless” (1995): Heckerling’s teen comedy, starring Alicia Silverstone, was a loose adaptation of Jane Austen’s “Emma” and forever enshrined the phrase “As if!” into popular culture. The registry hails “its peak-1990s colorful, high-energy, soundtrack-focused on-screen dynamism.”

    “The Wrecking Crew” (2008): Danny Tedesco’s documentary — not to be confused with the 2026 buddy cop movie of the same name — looks at a group of Los Angeles studio musicians who played on hit songs of the ‘60s and ’70s like “California Dreamin’” and “The Beat Goes On.”

    “Inception” (2010): In a movie that asks whether it’s possible to influence a person’s thoughts by manipulating their dreams, Nolan “once again challenges audiences with multiple interconnected narrative layers while delivering thrilling action sequences and stunning visual effects.”

    “The Tramp and the Dog” (1896)

    “The Oath of the Sword” (1914)

    “The Maid of McMillan” (1916)

    “The Lady” (1925)

    “Sparrows” (1926)

    “Ten Nights in a Barroom” (1926)

    “White Christmas” (1954)

    “High Society” (1956)

    “Brooklyn Bridge” (1981)

    “Say Amen, Somebody” (1982)

    “The Thing” (1982)

    “The Big Chill” (1983)

    “The Karate Kid” (1984)

    “Glory” (1989)

    “Philadelphia” (1993)

    “Before Sunrise” (1995)

    “Clueless” (1995)

    “The Truman Show” (1998)

    “Frida” (2002)

    “The Hours” (2002)

    “The Incredibles” (2004)

    “The Wrecking Crew” (2008)

    “Inception” (2010)

    “The Loving Story” (2011)

    “The Grand Budapest Hotel” (2014)

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  • One Tech Tip: Fed up with AI slop? A few platforms will let you dial it down

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    AI slop seems to be everywhere. Low-quality digital content made with artificial intelligence has flooded our feeds, screens and speakers. Is there anything we can do about it?

    If you want fewer cartoonish videos of dead celebrities, creepy or absurd images or fake bands playing synthetic tunes, a few platforms have rolled out settings and features to help minimize AI-generated content.

    Here is a guide on how to use them. But first, a caveat from Henry Ajder, who advises businesses and governments on AI and has been studying deepfakes since 2018. He warned that it’s “incredibly difficult” to entirely remove AI slop content entirely from all your feeds.

    He compared AI slop to the smog generated from the industrial revolution, when there weren’t any pollution controls in place.

    “It’s going to be very, very hard for people to avoid inhaling, in this analogy.”

    Pinterest’s move to lean into the AI boom made it something of a poster child for the AI slop problem, as user complained that the online moodboard for pinning inspirational material by themes has become overrun with AI content.

    So Pinterest recently rolled out a “tuner” that lets users adjust the amount of AI content they see in their feeds.

    It rolled out first on Android and desktop operating systems, before starting on a more gradual roll out on iOS.

    “Now, users can dial down the AI and add more of a human touch,” Pinterest said, adding that it would initially cover some categories that are “highly prone to AI modification or generation” such as beauty, art, fashion and home decor.

    More categories have since been added, including architecture, art, beauty, entertainment, men’s, women’s and children’s fashion, health, home décor, and sport, food and drink.

    To use the tuner, go to Settings and then to “refine your recommendations.” and then tap on GenAI interests, where you can use toggles to indicate the categories you’d like to see less AI-content.

    It’s no surprise that AI-generated videos proliferate on TikTok, the short-video sharing app. The company says there are at least 1.3 billion video clips on its platform it has labeled as AI-generated.

    TikTok said in November it was testing an update to give users more control of the AI-generated content in their For You feeds. It’s not clear when it will be widely available. TikTok did not respond to requests for comment.

    To see if you have it on the TikTok mobile app, go to Settings, then Content Preferences, then to Manage Topics where you’ll see a set of sliders to control various types of content, such as dance, humor, lifestyle and nature.

    You can also access the controls from the For You feed, by tapping the Share button on the side of a post, then tap Why this Video, then Adjust your For You, and then Manage topics.

    There should be a new slider that allows you to dial down — or turn up — the amount of AI-generated content that you receive. If you don’t see it yet, it might be because you haven’t received the update yet. TikTok said late last year that it would start testing the feature in coming weeks.

    These controls are not available on the desktop browser interface.

    You won’t be able to get red of AI content altogether — TikTok says the controls are used to tailor the content rather than removing or replacing it entirely from feeds.

    “This means that people who love AI-generated history content can see more of this content, while those who’d rather see less can choose to dial things down,” it said.

    Song generation tools like Suno and Udio let users create music merely by typing some ideas into a chatbot window. Anyone can use them to spit out polished pop songs, but it also means streaming services have been flooded with AI tunes, often by accounts masquerading as real artists.

    Among the music streaming platforms, only Deezer, a smaller European-based player, gives listeners a way to tell them apart by labeling songs as AI.

    “Deezer has been really, really pushing the anti-AI generation music narrative,” said Henry Ajder.

    Deezer says 60,000 fully AI-generated tracks, or more than 39% of the daily total, are uploaded to its platform every day and last year it detected and labeled more than 13.4 million AI tracks. The company says the people doing it are trying to make money by fraudulent streams.

    If you can tear yourself away from Big Tech platforms, there are a new generation of apps targeting users who want to avoid AI.

    Cara is a portfolio-sharing platform for artists that bans AI-generated work. Pixelfed is an ad-free Instagram rival where users can join different servers, or communities, including one for art that does not allow AI-generated content. Spread is a new social media platform with content for people who want to “access human ideas” and “escape the flood of AI slop.”

    Watch out for the upcoming launch of diVine, a reboot of Twitter founder Jack Dorsey’s defunct short form video app Vine. The app has only been available as a limited prerelease for Apple iOS. It promises “No AI Slop” and uses multiple approaches to detect AI. An Android beta app is expected soon. The company plans to launch it in app stores soon but needs more time to get ready for unexpectedly high demand.

    ___

    Is there a tech topic that you think needs explaining? Write to us at onetechtip@ap.org with your suggestions for future editions of One Tech Tip.

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  • Former Illinois deputy convicted of killing Sonya Massey faces up to 20 years in prison

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    SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — The former Illinois sheriff’s deputy convicted of second-degree murder in the fatal shooting of Sonya Massey, a Black woman who called 911 to request help, is scheduled to be sentenced Thursday.

    Sean Grayson, 31, was convicted in October. Grayson, who is white, could be sentenced to as much as 20 years in prison but also is eligible for probation. He has been incarcerated since he was charged in the killing.

    In the early morning hours of July 6, 2024, Massey — who struggled with mental health issues — summoned emergency responders because she feared there was a prowler outside her Springfield home.

    According to body camera footage, Grayson and sheriff’s Deputy Dawson Farley, who was not charged, searched Massey’s yard before meeting her at her door. Massey appeared confused and repeatedly said, “Please, God.”

    The deputies entered her house, Grayson noticed the pot on the stove and ordered Farley to move it. Instead, Massey went to the stove, retrieved the pot and teased Grayson for moving away from “the hot, steaming water.”

    From this moment, the exchange quickly escalated.

    Massey said: “I rebuke you in the name of Jesus.”

    Grayson drew his sidearm and yelled at her to drop the pan. She set the pot down and ducked behind a counter. But she appeared to pick it up again.

    That’s when Grayson opened fire on the 36-year-old single mother, shooting her in the face. He testified that he feared Massey would scald him.

    Grayson was charged with three counts of first-degree murder, which could have led to a life sentence, but a jury convicted him of the lesser charge. Illinois allows for a second-degree murder conviction if evidence shows the defendant honestly thought he was in danger, even if that fear was unreasonable.

    Massey’s family was outraged by the jury’s decision.

    “The justice system did exactly what it’s designed to do today. It’s not meant for us,” her cousin Sontae Massey said after the verdict.

    Massey’s killing raised new questions about U.S. law enforcement shootings of Black people in their homes. Civil rights attorney Ben Crump negotiated a $10 million settlement with Sangamon County for Massey’s relatives.

    The case also generated a U.S. Justice Department inquiry that was settled when the county agreed to implement more de-escalation training; collect more use-of-force data; and forced the sheriff who hired Grayson to retire. The case also prompted a change in Illinois law requiring fuller transparency on the backgrounds of candidates for law enforcement jobs.

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  • Meta posts stronger-than-expected Q4 results though costs continue to soar

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    Meta’s fourth-quarter results jumped past Wall Street’s expectations thanks to solid advertising revenue, sending shares higher in after-hours trading Wednesday.

    The company earned $22.77 billion, or $8.88 per share, in the October-December quarter. That’s up 9% from $20.84 billion, or $8.02 per share, in the same period a year earlier.

    Revenue grew 24% to $59.89 billion from $48.39 billion.

    Analysts, on average, were expecting earnings of $8.21 per share on revenue of $58.5 billion, according to a poll by FactSet.

    Meta’s expenses, which the company already warned will be significantly higher this year, grew 40% to $35.15 billion.

    For the current quarter, Meta is forecasting revenue in the range of $53.5 billion to $56.5 billion. That’s above analysts’ forecast of $51.4 billion. For 2026, Meta is forecasting expenses in the range of $162 billion to $169 billion, driven by infrastructure costs and employee compensation.

    Meta had 78,865 employees at the end of the year, an increase of 6% from a year earlier.

    Shares of the Menlo Park, California-based company rose $27.28, or 4.1%, to $696.01 in after-hours trading.

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